The Gateway 11.6" laptop is budget-friendly and highly portable due to its small size and light weight, suitable for basic tasks like web browsing and word processing. However, the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 5i, while typically more expensive, offers significantly better performance with more storage, memory, and a more powerful processor, making it more suitable for multitasking, engineering, and heavier workloads. The Lenovo also sports a larger, higher resolution screen and better build quality, but it is less portable due to its increased size and weight. Neither are suited for intensive gaming or high-end 3D tasks. If you need a laptop for general use and prioritize cost and portability, Gateway might suffice; but for better overall performance and tasks demanding more resources, the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 5i is the recommended choice. Give Feedback
this description is based on the product variant with some specs and product variant with some specs. At the time of writing, the variant with some specs cost some dollars and the variant with some specs cost some dollars.
Advantages of the Gateway 11.6"
Excellent portability
Advantages of the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 5i
Good for general use
Good for engineering and design
Good for software development
Good for content creation
Good overall build quality
Very good keyboard
Key differences
General Use
5.6/10
7.5/10
1366 x 768
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
200.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
315.0 nits
8.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
8.0 Hours
5.3/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
9.1/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
7.6/10
The Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 5i is good for general use, while the Gateway 11.6" is poor.
The Gateway 11.6" is equipped with a lower-grade Intel Celeron processor, less RAM, and a lower-resolution screen than the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 5i, which hinders its performance for general use; the Lenovo also boasts a higher quality keyboard and more storage space, enhancing its overall user experience. Despite the Lenovo being larger and slightly heavier, which may affect portability, it compensates with superior screen quality and higher build quality, making it better suited for a broad range of tasks.
Gaming and AI
5.4/10
6.3/10
3.5/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.7/10
1366 x 768
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
No
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
7.0/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.5/10
The Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 5i is only fair for gaming and AI, while the Gateway 11.6" is poor.
The Gateway 11.6" has less capable graphics hardware and a lower quality display, making it poor for gaming and 3D applications, while the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 5i includes better integrated graphics and a higher quality screen, offering fair performance for such tasks.
Engineering and Design
5.4/10
7.0/10
3.3/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.9/10
3.5/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.7/10
4.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 5i is good for engineering and design, while the Gateway 11.6" is poor.
The Gateway 11.6" has a low-end Intel Celeron processor and basic Intel UHD Graphics, which along with its limited 4GB RAM and lower resolution screen, is not adequate for complex engineering and design tasks that require high computational power and detailed visuals, whereas the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 5i includes a more capable Intel i5 processor and Iris Xe graphics, coupled with a substantial 16GB RAM and a higher resolution display, making it well-suited to handle the demands of such software-intensive work. While both are portable, the Lenovo also offers a better keyboard and less operating noise, contributing to a superior overall user experience for professional tasks.
Content Creation
5.7/10
7.4/10
3.3/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.9/10
1366 x 768
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
4.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 5i is good for content creation, while the Gateway 11.6" is poor.
PerfectRec’s Content Creation Score takes into account the many different features of the laptop that make it more or less suitable for photo editing, video editing and other content creation tasks.
Software Development
5.7/10
7.4/10
3.3/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.9/10
4.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
1366 x 768
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
5.3/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
The Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 5i is good for software development, while the Gateway 11.6" is poor.
PerfectRec’s Software Development Score takes into account the many different features of the laptop that make it more or less suitable for software developers.
Screen Quality
5.7/10
6.4/10
11.6in
SIZE
16.0in
1366 x 768
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
200.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
315.0 nits
The Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 5i has a better screen than the Gateway 11.6" for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, content creation, and software development.
The Gateway 11.6"'s smaller screen, likely with lower resolution and brightness, is not ideal for any use due to a less vivid and sharp display, making details harder to discern. The Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 5i, with a better resolution and brightness, provides a clearer and more comfortable viewing experience for everyday tasks and engineering, although it falls short for color-sensitive work due to limited color range coverage. Neither is suited for gaming and 3D work; the Gateway's smaller size and lower specs hinder performance, while the IdeaPad, even with fair overall quality, lacks the high refresh rates needed for smooth motion rendering.
Portability
Excellent
Good
11.6in
SIZE
16.0in
2.6 lbs
WEIGHT
4.1 lbs
0.7in
THICKNESS
0.7in
The Gateway 11.6" has excellent portability, while the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 5i has good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
5.1/10
7.6/10
The Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 5i has good build quality, while the Gateway 11.6" has poor build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$89
$828
$0
$200
$400
$600
$800
$1,000
$1,200
$1,400
The Gateway 11.6" has a price of $89 and the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 5i costs $828.
"The device is made for average work loads and if your work has a lot to do with online browsing, using apps that are not power-hungry and streaming videos. The looks are really good and the device in itself is not a heavy one. And with Intel 11th-gen Core processor, you might sail through most of your work without complaints."
Get a great deal on the Gateway 11.6" or the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 5i
About Gateway
Gateway is a laptop and tablet brand owned by Acer which sells budget-friendly laptops exclusively through Walmart. It was previously an American computer company until its acquisition by Acer in 2007, who then revived the brand in 2020. Gateway laptops are manufactured by Chinese company Shenzhen Bmorn Technology, which also makes EVOO-branded models.
About Lenovo
Lenovo is a Chinese technology company, and one of the largest personal computer vendor. They are well known for a variety of technology products, including laptops. Their consumer series include their entry level IdeaPad and LOQ series and mid-to-high-end Yoga and Legion series. On the business-oriented side, their series include their entry-level ThinkBook series and mid-to-high-end ThinkPad series. Lenovo laptops offer strong performance for reasonable prices, and are often on sale.
This information was produced and vetted by the PerfectRec laptops team. We are a product research and recommendation organization that meticulously reviews and evaluates the latest laptop information and makes it digestible for you.
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